with you? You look as if you had been in a riot."

"That's a pretty good guess, my dear," returned Thaddeus, with a
laugh, "but not quite the right one."

"But tell me, what have you been doing? Where have you been?"

"At Bradley's, my love."

"You haven't been--been quarrelling with Mr. Bradley?"

"No. Bradley's jewel has proved your husband's Waterloo, as well as
the Sedan of Bradley himself," returned Thaddeus, throwing his head
back and bursting out into a loud guffaw.

"I am not good at riddles, Thaddeus," said Bessie, "and I haven't
laughed much myself since that last train came in last night and
didn't bring you. I think you might tell me--"

"Why, my dear little girl," said Thaddeus, walking to her side and
kissing her, "I didn't mean to keep you in suspense, and of course
I'll tell you."

Then, as they ate their breakfast, Thaddeus explained. "I told
Bradley that you were a sceptic on the subject of his jewel," he
said, "and he offered to prove that she was eighteen carats fine by
taking me home with him, an unexpected guest, by which act he would
test her value to my satisfaction. Of course, having cast doubts
upon her excellence, I had to accept, and at half-past five he and I
boarded an elevated train for Harlem. At six we stood before
Bradley's front door, and as he had left his keys at the office, he
rang the bell and waited. It was a long wait, considering the
presence of a jewel within doors. It must have lasted fifteen
minutes, and even that would have been but the beginning, in spite
of repeated and continuous pulling of the bell-handle, had we not
determined to enter through the reception-room window."

"Did you try the basement door?" queried Bessie, with a smile, for
it pleased her to hear that the jewel was not quite flawless.

"Yes," said Thaddeus. "We rang four times at the basement, and I
should say seven times at the front door, and then we took to the
window. Bradley's is one of those narrow English-basement houses
with a small yard in front, so that the reception-room window is
easy to reach by climbing over the vault leading to the basement
door, which is more or less of a cellar entrance. Fortunately the
window was unlocked. I say fortunately, because it enabled us to
get into the house, though if I were sitting on a jury I think I
should base an indictment--one of criminal negligence--of the Jewel
on the fact that it was unlocked. It was just the hour, you know,